inertia must be a con
by blenderfullasarcasm
Summary: Izuku has a lot of feelings about Endeavor and his parenting.


Izuku feels _so much_ sometimes that it feels like he might explode. He's kind of used to excitement by now (because he _knows All Might personally now_ and that's pretty much been his dream since he was, like, _three_ ) and also anxiety for entirely different reasons ( _thanks, Kacchan_ ). But this is new.

He doesn't think he's ever felt this _angry_ before.

It's not just anger, though, because his anger usually runs cold. It's like stepping into a freezer, except he doesn't shiver or shake, he's just...certain. Motivated. Determined.

This anger is more like a burning desire to _protect_ and given the one who inspired it he isn't sure he likes the change in temperature. It's a blazing inferno and it's making his expression harden and his eyes narrow and he just _knows_ that if he had laser vision someone would be in the hospital by now.

( - _what was it people said about fighting fire with fire - )_

But. He isn't used to feeling like this ( _\- and it isn't like he can just take a page from Kacchan's book and punch the source in its face because_ politics _, insert eyeroll here -_ ) so he isn't really sure what to do, except that he has to do _something_.

( _\- but he can't betray Todoroki's trust so - )_

He _really_ wishes he could do something to change this situation because he feels like he's been drowning ( _in flames, ha_ ) and his blood's been roaring in his ears ever since Todoroki sat back down in his seat after break, face completely blank and eyes distant. He keeps his hands hidden underneath his desk but Izuku knows, _knows_ they're shaking. Just slightly, hardly enough to be perceptible, but enough for Izuku to know _something_ happened between classes.

'Everything okay?' he mouths on his way to his desk, because he doesn't trust his volume control right now.

Todoroki blinks, shrugs minutely. Brings his hands forward to rest on his desk, clutching his phone.

( _\- Izuku was right - his hands are trembling, gripping the phone so tightly his knuckles are white -_ )

Todoroki tilts it just enough that Izuku can see the sender's name and the first line of the message for about a second and a half and then places it deliberately face-down.

Ice shoots through his veins before being abruptly overtaken by a blazing inferno.

Present Mic calls the class to order before he can say anything else, but Izuku rests a hand on Todoroki's shoulder briefly before sitting down.

Izuku glances back at him a moment later, just to make sure that was okay ( _\- because it's not like he's really had friends before other than Kacchan if he even counts and if Todoroki even considers him a friend in the first place and what if he messes up -_ ) and Todoroki's face is just blatantly surprised, like he didn't believe anyone would ever touch him casually ( _\- or gently, hell, if Izuku gets the chance he's going to kick Endeavor in the balls with One For All at a hundred percent and he won't even care if he breaks every bone in his body a million times and can never be a hero again_ ).

Izuku can't pay attention to the lesson, not with the roaring in his ears and the raging fire in his veins ( _\- and if he had a temperature-based quirk his desk would've melted by now -_ _)_ but he takes notes anyway, pencil digging into the paper so hard that it almost rips and the lead snaps more than once. It's only his tight grip on One For All that keeps the pencil itself from being vaporized.

(In the back of his mind he notices Kacchan's shoulders tensing more and more every time his lead snaps but disregards it.)

Eventually he gives up on notes and just flips to the back of his notebook. Sometimes writing his feelings out works - not often, but sometimes.

This does not appear to be one of those times, since nothing is happening even with his pencil pressed to the paper so hard its lead is disintegrating.

Izuku takes a deep breath, glancing at the clock. Five minutes left in class, and then he can go and, like, force comfort Todoroki or something.

Ah - his pencil is moving of its own accord. He stares off into the middle distance in the general direction of the board so Present Mic won't call him out on not paying attention ( _\- assuming Izuku could even hear him because it's like he's gone into a fugue state or something_ _)._

The bell rings, sooner than he thought it would, and he glances down at what he's written.

 _PETITION TO YEET ENDEAVOR OUT THE WINDOW_

 _Midoriya Izuku_

He pauses, a little surprised at himself ( _\- because apparently he's been hanging out with Kaminari too much - )_ , before adding his hero name in parentheses. It just feels right.

That's all he has time to do ( _\- maybe he was going to add 'AND STRAIGHT INTO JAIL' because if Izuku finds himself in that man's proximity anytime soon that's probably what's going to happen regardless of politics -_ ) before a shadow falls over his desk, faint crackling reaching his ears through the roaring of the flames in his head.

"Oi. Deku. Why the fuck are you breaking your pencils. Stop, it's fucking irritating."

...Izuku can't possibly be hearing that right, because that sounds like something similar to concern, and this is _Kacchan_. Kacchan doesn't _do_ concern.

He glances involuntarily at his notebook.

Kacchan's eyes narrow, looking past him at the open pages and Izuku resigns himself to watching another one of his papers go up in flames - which is probably for the best in this case since it's not like he should ever really let anyone see it.

But instead of exploding it, Kacchan jerks the pencil from Izuku's hand and violently scribbles something at the top. He stops briefly, as if admiring his handiwork ( _\- because it definitely isn't anything remotely close to hesitation, not with that cold, proud glint in his eyes -_ ), then very neatly ( _carefully_ ) writes something else a little further down the page.

As Izuku tries to peek around his shoulder to see what he's written, Kacchan makes the pencil explode because he's a complete jerk, sprinkling the remains on Izuku's desk and straightening abruptly. " _Nerd,"_ he adds absently, no heat, over his shoulder just before leaving the room.

Izuku rolls his eyes before reading Kacchan's edits, prepared for...just about anything other than what he's actually written.

 _PETITION TO YEET ENDEAVOR_ _OUT THE WINDOW_ _ **INTO THE FUCKING SUN**_

 _Midoriya Izuku (Deku)_

 _ **Bakugou Katsuki (King Explosion Murder)**_

Izuku wonders what had possessed Kacchan, if he had somehow overheard his talk with Todoroki during the Sports Festival, or if he had some other utterly _Kacchan_ reason for hating Endeavor (which is way more likely), but -

Well.

The corner of his mouth edges upwards slightly.

He's kind of glad that he and Kacchan can agree on something.

Uraraka calls his name from the doorway, having apparently doubled back when she couldn't see him in the crowd between classes. He waves her on, stuffing his notebook into his bag and getting to his feet.

He's calmed down a little, to a high simmer, by the time he makes it to lunch, enough that he can politely request some food from Lunch Rush without accidentally shouting, which is good because Uraraka is kind of looking at him weirdly. Izuku keeps his gaze facing straight ahead ( _\- because if he doesn't he might lose his grip on One For All and end up destroying the cafeteria by accident and that would be rude -_ ) and he's sort of staring into the middle distance, not really processing anything but aware enough of his surroundings that he's able to keep from bumping into other people while he follows Uraraka to their usual table.

They join Iida and Yaoyorozu and Asui ( _\- he still can't muster up enough courage to call her Tsuyu even though that's what she's told him she wants because he's just that shy, thanks for that, Kacchan -_ ), sitting on the bench opposite them. Uraraka jumps into their conversation almost immediately, but Izuku can't focus enough to participate, not with this much adrenaline lacing the fire that's roaring through his veins. He's about to stand up and go find Todoroki ( _\- and maybe figure out a way to help without breaking half the bones in his body - not that he wouldn't, though, if he thought it might be helpful -_ ) when he spots him out of the corner of his eye.

Izuku turns his head abruptly to make sure that he's actually seeing what he's seeing before he waves to Todoroki from across the cafeteria, not stopping until well after Todoroki's eyes lock on him and he nods almost imperceptibly, the tension in his shoulders diminishing slightly.

To be completely honest, Izuku wasn't really expecting to see him during lunch. Todoroki usually disappears somewhere, preferring to be alone, and Izuku kind of would have expected today to be similar, maybe even more so than usual, but maybe he wants company instead?

Izuku's always pretty happy to see him, though, so he tries not to read too much into it.

Todoroki slides in next to him hesitantly, as if he's not quite sure he's welcome ( _\- and if Izuku ever gets anything remotely resembling a chance, Endeavor is going to DISAPPEAR for good, and he doesn't care if he has to seal him in a box and mail him to Antarctica -_ ) and Izuku gives him the biggest smile he can manage at that moment, bumping their shoulders together gently before shifting down the bench a little because he knows Todoroki likes his personal space.

Unfortunately ( _\- because he's an idiot and also not entirely used to his own bulk because it's still pretty new to him - after all a year ago he'd been a twig of a teenage boy -_ ) the movement causes him to nudge his bag off the seat to the floor behind him.

Which causes his notebook to fall out of his bag.

Which causes it to fall open to the page he'd just been writing on.

Which causes Uraraka to frown in confusion from where she's leant down to help him pick up the contents of his bag.

She brings it to the center of the table so that she can look at it better and the others crowd in to see, too. Even Todoroki leans a bit closer, even though it means that he invades Izuku's personal space a little.

Izuku covers his burning face with his hands as his simmering anger is overtaken by a tepid wave of embarrassment. He hadn't actually meant for that to ever see the light of day again.

The table is absolutely silent for a long moment, so long that Izuku is able to gather enough courage to peek between his fingers ( _\- and make sure having actual friends wasn't just a delusion he'd made up at some point -_ ).

Then Todoroki _laughs._

It's choked, breathy, rough from lack of practice, and so quiet that if the rest of the table hadn't been _completely_ silent Izuku probably wouldn't have heard it at all.

( _\- it's actually really cute? -_ )

Yaoyorozu's jaw drops slightly, the only other person who was close enough to hear, but she recovers before anyone other than Izuku notices. She's frozen for a moment, then she creates a pen from her arm and reaches over to sign the petition.

 **3\. Yaoyorozu Momo (Creati)**

She shrugs when the others look at her. "If Midoriya-kun and Bakugou-kun can actually agree on something, I believe we should encourage it. As long as Todoroki-kun doesn't mind - " She glances over at Todoroki, suddenly worried she's misread him but he waves a hand inelegantly, shoulders still shaking and leaning slightly on Izuku to keep himself mostly upright.

She smiles and offers the pen to Iida, who blinks in confusion but takes it nonetheless and signs his name next.

4\. Iida Tenya (Ingenium)

Uraraka lunges for the pen next, but Asui grabs it with her tongue before she can grasp it. She signs the petition, still holding the pen with her tongue (which is pretty impressive, actually, is that part of her quirk or something she's learnt how to do?). Her handwriting - tonguewriting? - is surprisingly neat.

 **5\. Asui Tsuyu (Froppy)**

Uraraka steals the pen from her as soon as she's done - actually, a little before she's done, giving the 'y' a loopy tail - and signs right below her.

 _6\. Uraraka Ochako (Uravity)_

She loops the tail of her 'y' with a flourish, making it match Asui's, then gestures with the pen triumphantly before automatically handing it to Izuku, who kind of stares at it for a moment. He's already signed the petition, so he's not sure what's going on.

Then a hand enters Izuku's field of vision and takes the pen quietly, allowing Uraraka to go back to gesticulating with both her hands. Most of the attention is on her, and then Iida when he adds his own choppy arm movements, but Izuku's slowly turning towards Todoroki and dropping his hands slightly so he can actually see his expression.

Their eyes meet, and Todoroki looks about as surprised as Izuku feels, eyes widened slightly. He's stopped laughing, and he isn't gasping for breath - in fact, he kind of looks like he's not breathing at all.

"...Todoroki-kun?" Izuku asks quietly, Uraraka and Iida and their spirited debate mostly drowning him out. "I'm sorry, you don't have to sign it if you don't want to - "

Todoroki cuts him off with a shake of his head. "No, I want to."

He shifts the notebook towards himself, studiously avoiding eye contact with anyone as he signs his name.

 _ **6\. Todoroki Shouto (Entropy)**_

"I've been thinking about it for a while," he says in response to Izuku's inquisitive look. Then he hesitates. "...Midoriya. Can I ask… Why…"

He seems to be having trouble putting his thoughts into words, so Izuku fills in, "Why did I make the petition?" At Todoroki's nod, he kind of shrugs a little. "Well...um, I've kind of had a lot of... _feelings_ about Endeavor lately? And I kind of figured that I shouldn't bottle up my anger too much because, like, look at Kacchan, but also I thought that I might meet him face to face again eventually - but I really don't mean to be presumptuous or anything! - so, um, I thought that maybe I should have an outlet for my anger that wasn't, you know, kicking him in the balls with my quirk or mailing him to Antarctica because, one, it's not really feasible and probably illegal - but I would definitely be capable of doing it, so, like, just keep that in mind if you ever want me to - and two, I don't want to make things worse for you since I don't really know how he'll react and I'm so sorry I'm rambling - "

Todoroki cuts him off with another laugh that almost sounds like a cough, it's that rough.

( _\- Izuku's cheeks burn and he tries to prevent himself from burying his face back into his hands because Todoroki's laugh is really, really cute and he can't handle it -_ )

Todoroki can't quite keep the smile off his face as he says, "I would pay money to see that, Midoriya."

Izuku's face bursts into flames, but it's okay this time because this is the kind of fire he's used to, although he's pretty sure he's going to be getting more acclimated to the other kind over the next few years ( _because, yeah, he's planning on keeping Todoroki around as long as he possibly can_ ).

But for now?

He's…pretty much content, yeah, with having made Todoroki laugh.

But, well, given that it's UA that feeling probably won't last too long. There'll be some sort of surprise exercise that'll make some sort of emotion flare up again in the next five minutes or something, just watch.


End file.
